Damien Kane: Book Review: Manitou Blood by Graham Masterton (2006)

Manitou Blood is part of an ongoing relationship between reader and Harry Erskine, an underhand psychic investigator with a soft spot for old ladies who have lots of money, and for finding the most ruthless demons in the world wherever he goes.

After Graham Masterton wrote Descent, I was intrigued how he would fit a similar genre in with an age-old character like Harry Erskine. I wasn't disappointed for my dollar: Graham delivered a thorough novel, driving by one of his original characters. Graham's aptitude for delivering the right word, or the best thought or quote or imagery is unmatched today.

On page 5 he writes, 'Frank was standing by the window of his twenty-seventh-floor office at the Sisters of Jerusalem, looking down at West Thirty-sixth Street below. The traffic was sparkling in the sunshine, and the crowds far below him were dressed in bright reds and yellows and greens, like a scattered assortment of jelly beans.'

Graham is my favourite author for many reasons, including the way he tells the story. Many of his stories appear to be formulaic: good guy, bad demon, good guy kills bad demon, but they don't read like that. I never know what's going to come out of Graham's head (and if you don't believe me, you haven't read enough of Graham Masterton!) He doesn't write in tangents although threads may be a better word. He allows himself to create these threads and tie them all (or most) up at the end.

His writing is no different with Maniou Blood. From an innocent play on the street to global annihilation. In today's world of terrorism, it is no longer thought impossible, and Graham adds that extra dimension to his story by placing the horrifying events of 9/11 in his story to fuse together two demons that Harry must, at some point or other, pit his wits against.

Graham's back stories are amazing and seamless. Many times, I am so engrossed in the story, I miss the transition. Personally, I feel this is how it should be: going forward and backward should be seamless unless there's a significant reason, such as the use of a time machine.

There is a curious element to this novel, however. It is written with two main characters in mind called Frank and Harry Erskine where chapters are easily controlled and dealt with by reader and writer alike. The jumping perspectives are transparent as lives entwine and the stakes are raised. Manitou Blood is traditional Masterton, with his unique storytelling of ancient demons and voluptuous women, death and viscera (Graham made viscera the best word in the English Language).

Despite many flavours of death that could have visited Harry Erskine, Graham chose to keep him around. For me, Harry is becoming too arrogant and I have to wonder if he'll die soon. Now that he's a half-vampire it may , or may not, be a little easier.

Like many stories there are always inconsistencies that either catch you off-guard immediately, or catch you when you least expect: watching tv, reading the newspaper, etc. Suddenly, it's all hands on deck trying to find the page where the inconsistencies lie.

For example, the vampires (called Strigoi) can enter mirrors and shiny surfaces. They can turn humans to make them half-Strigoi to do the same. I am unsure how these half-humans (and even the Strigoi themselves) manage to pull their clothes and belongings into the mirror. More importantly, there is a ritual performed on Harry to become half-Strigoi from ancient plans. When Harry has undergone the transformation and entered the mirror world, he meets Frank. It isn't clear that Frank underwent the same transformation (it would be very obvious if he did) which begs the question: how?

I remember reading the story and stabbing at the pages where inconsistencies lay. When I read, I'm also a writer learning so to understand these issues is a very positive thing and although most inconsistencies are never noticed, it does tend to become unsatisfying on that level alone.

Despite the inconsistencies, I am rating this novel highly for many reasons: Harry has appeared in many of Graham's books, but Manitou Blood makes him sound like the first. The characters have special purpose to the progression of the story and many are noble, such as Gil and Frank. There appeared to be a tendency to use such nobility and Gothic appraisal in his characters and whether that was Graham's intention or not, I am unclear. It certainly seems he was steering a lot of the emotion towards the Strigoi camp. Carnal infatuation, gratuitous vomiting of pints of blood, all-you-can-eat buffet on the pavement of McDonalds (no, not the Big Mac's, but Big Mac himself). I have always felt there is a need for sex in horror and vice-versa and done well, it loses its tackiness which is what a poor writer portrays. Graham is our expert in these matters - all hail Graham's experiences in the deeper parts of our warm, oily, bodies.

Overall, Manitou Blood is a rock-solid novel from one of the masters of the genre. He writes confidently with a clear objective in mind - the next page. By my own experience, if I'm so eager to go to the next page, probability is, is that my readers want to as well. Get this book. It's got all the hallmarks of a Masterton classic and goes beyond a story by pulling in many other novels and literature in human history.